Joshua 10:32 kjv
And the LORD delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel, which took it on the second day, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein, according to all that he had done to Libnah.
Joshua 10:32 nkjv
And the LORD delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel, who took it on the second day, and struck it and all the people who were in it with the edge of the sword, according to all that he had done to Libnah.
Joshua 10:32 niv
The LORD gave Lachish into Israel's hands, and Joshua took it on the second day. The city and everyone in it he put to the sword, just as he had done to Libnah.
Joshua 10:32 esv
And the LORD gave Lachish into the hand of Israel, and he captured it on the second day and struck it with the edge of the sword, and every person in it, as he had done to Libnah.
Joshua 10:32 nlt
Here again, the LORD gave them Lachish. Joshua took it on the second day and killed everyone in it, just as he had done at Libnah.
Joshua 10 32 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Josh 10:30 | "And the LORD gave it [Libnah] also... He struck it... no survivor..." | Pattern of herem previously established. |
| Deut 7:2 | "...when the LORD your God gives them over to you, you shall devote them to destruction." | God's command for complete destruction. |
| Deut 20:16-18 | "But in the cities of these peoples that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes..." | Explicit instruction for the ban (herem). |
| Num 21:2-3 | "If you will indeed give this people into my hand... utterly destroy their cities... The LORD listened... gave the Canaanites into Israel's hand..." | Example of the ban's application. |
| Josh 11:20 | "For it was the LORD’s doing to harden their hearts that they should come against Israel in battle, in order that he might devote them to destruction..." | God's sovereignty in facilitating judgment. |
| Josh 11:12-14 | "And all the cities of those kings... Israel utterly destroyed... they utterly destroyed them, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded." | Israel's obedience to the herem command. |
| Deut 9:3 | "Know therefore today that he who goes over before you as a consuming fire is the LORD your God. He will destroy them and subdue them before you..." | God fighting ahead of Israel. |
| Josh 21:44 | "And the LORD gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their fathers. Not one of all their enemies had withstood them, for the LORD had given all their enemies into their hands." | Fulfillment of promise of victory/rest. |
| Josh 10:42 | "All these kings and their land Joshua captured at one time, because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel." | Explicit statement of God fighting for Israel. |
| Exod 14:14 | "The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent." | God's divine warrior role. |
| Ps 44:3 | "for not by their own sword did they win the land, nor did their own arm bring them victory; but by your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face—for you delighted in them." | God's power, not Israel's might. |
| Judg 4:14 | "Has not the LORD gone out before you?" | Rhetorical question affirming God's leadership in battle. |
| 1 Sam 17:47 | "and that all this assembly may know that the LORD saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the LORD’s..." | The Lord is the true source of victory. |
| Josh 2:9 | "...for we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea... and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites..." | Fear of God's deeds precedes Israel. |
| Deut 2:25 | "This day I will begin to put dread and fear of you on the peoples who are under the whole heaven, who shall hear a report of you and shall tremble and be in anguish because of you." | Nations' fear of Israel (and God) foretold. |
| Josh 11:18 | "Joshua made war a long time with all these kings." | Contrasts quick victory with longer campaign. |
| 1 Chr 20:4 | "they conquered the Philistines. Then Sibbecai the Hushathite struck down Sippai, who was of the descendants of the giants, and the Philistines were subdued." | Echoes the Lord's hand in victory later. |
| Jer 34:7 | "Lachish and Azekah were the only fortified cities of Judah that remained..." | Lachish's historical significance, its earlier capture here. |
| Gen 15:16 | "And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete." | Prophecy of God's patience and later judgment. |
| Deut 7:1 | "When the LORD your God brings you into the land that you are entering to take possession of it..." | The Lord bringing Israel into the land. |
| Josh 6:17 | "The city and all that is within it shall be devoted to the LORD for destruction..." | First application of the ban at Jericho. |
| Heb 11:30 | "By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days." | New Testament perspective on faith in conquest. |
Joshua 10 verses
Joshua 10 32 Meaning
Joshua 10:32 describes the successful, divinely-aided conquest of Lachish by the Israelites. It highlights that the Lord Himself delivered Lachish into Israel's hand, enabling its capture in just two days. The verse further states that all its inhabitants were utterly destroyed, mirroring the complete destruction previously carried out at Libnah, establishing a consistent pattern of God's judgment through Israel's military actions.
Joshua 10 32 Context
Joshua 10:32 is situated within the broader narrative of Israel's conquest of Canaan, specifically detailing the rapid Southern Campaign. This campaign was triggered by the Gibeonite appeal to Joshua for help against a coalition of five Amorite kings led by Adoni-Zedek of Jerusalem. After a miraculous victory involving hailstones and the sun standing still at Gibeon and Makkedah, Joshua and the Israelites relentlessly pursued the fleeing enemy, systematically conquering their cities. Verse 32 specifically recounts the assault and swift fall of Lachish, a prominent fortified city in the Shephelah, immediately following the capture of Libnah (mentioned in verse 30). This quick succession of victories demonstrates the Lord's consistent fulfillment of His promise to give Israel the land and shows His active participation as the divine warrior. The actions taken, particularly the complete destruction, reflect the command of herem (the ban) for the land's inhabitants, acting as God's instrument of judgment on societies whose iniquity was complete.
Joshua 10 32 Word analysis
- And the LORD delivered: The phrase opens by highlighting the primary agent: YHWH, the covenant God of Israel. The Hebrew word for "delivered" is natan (נָתַן), meaning "gave" or "delivered." This choice of verb is crucial, indicating divine bestowal and empowerment rather than Israel's inherent might. It immediately frames the military success as God's doing.
- Lachish: An ancient, strategically vital, heavily fortified city in the Shephelah, known for its defenses. Its formidable nature emphasizes the miraculous ease and speed of its fall, underscoring divine intervention.
- into the hand of Israel: A common idiom across the ancient Near East and in the Bible. It signifies control, power, possession, and ultimate victory. The phrase asserts that God enabled Israel to gain full command over the city.
- who captured it: The Hebrew word lakad (לָכַד) means "to seize" or "to capture." It emphasizes the actual physical act of taking the city, directly enabled by the Lord's prior "delivery."
- on the second day: The rapidity of the conquest is noteworthy. Conventional siege warfare of the time often lasted months or even years. Capturing a major city like Lachish in two days underscores the supernatural aid and the irresistible power accompanying Israel's campaign, signaling God's favor.
- and struck it with the edge of the sword: "Struck" is nakah (נָכָה), denoting a forceful, lethal blow. "Edge of the sword" (pî-ḥereb - פִי חֶרֶב) is a standard Hebrew idiom for military execution, referring to death by the sword. It specifies the method of judicial killing applied to the inhabitants.
- and all the people in it he utterly destroyed: The Hebrew phrase kol ha'nefesh ba-herem (כֹּל הַנֶּפֶשׁ בָּחֶרֶם) signifies complete destruction, referring to the "ban" or herem. This theological term indicates that the inhabitants were "devoted" or "consecrated" to destruction as an act of divine judgment against their pervasive wickedness (cf. Gen 15:16). It was a unique, divinely commanded cleansing, not typical warfare. No remnant was permitted to survive.
- as he had done to Libnah: This comparative phrase is pivotal. It reinforces that the total destruction of Lachish was not an isolated act but a consistent, mandated pattern previously established at Libnah (Josh 10:30). It signals obedience to God's commands (Deut 7:2, 20:16-18) and a consistent application of divine judgment across the conquered territories, emphasizing the Lord's unwavering decree.
Joshua 10 32 Bonus section
The mention of "the second day" for Lachish's capture highlights an almost miraculous speed when compared to historical sieges. Archaeological findings and ancient Near Eastern military accounts attest to multi-year sieges for heavily fortified cities. The swiftness in Joshua's campaign consistently points to the divine hand intervening and fighting for Israel, overriding typical military timelines. The repetitive nature of the conquest formula throughout Joshua 10 (e.g., "he did as he had done to X") serves a literary and theological purpose, establishing a pattern of complete success under God's command and emphasizing Israel's obedience in carrying out the specific "ban" directives against these wicked nations. This also solidifies the legitimacy and consistency of the conquest as a divinely ordained mission, fulfilling ancient prophecies regarding the dispossession of the land's inhabitants.
Joshua 10 32 Commentary
Joshua 10:32 serves as a concise yet powerful theological declaration embedded within the conquest narrative. Its essence lies in portraying the Lord's direct and unwavering involvement in Israel's military success. The phrase "the LORD delivered" is the central tenet, unequivocally attributing the victory not to Israel's strategic prowess or numerical superiority, but to God's active power. The swift capture of Lachish in "the second day," despite its formidable nature, highlights this divine acceleration of the process, contrasting sharply with typical ancient warfare. The ruthless "utterly destroyed" signifies the fulfillment of the herem command, an act of divine judgment against the inhabitants of Canaan for their profound idolatry and wickedness (cf. Lev 18:24-28). This was a specific, time-bound judicial act rather than a pattern for all warfare. The final comparison, "as he had done to Libnah," reinforces the systematic, consistent nature of this judgment, emphasizing Israel's faithfulness in executing God's decrees and affirming the divine authority behind each act of conquest.